Antique Prints

Thought I would share with you a find I had at an Antique Fair one or two years ago.

The Antique Fair visits every Easter and one year I travelled along to see what kind of trinkets and baubles they had.  I discovered a man selling prints such as these and walked away but never forgot them.  So, you guessed it, the following year back I went with a fist of notes to see if he was there.

The gentleman told me they were pages from a very old magazine called "The Art Decorator", showcasing paintings, ceiling art and prints.  The one below is titled "Ceiling" . . .

There really is no rhyme or reason to my tiny collection, and they were definitely bought more for aesthetic than monetary value!

Somehow I think they may be nice mounted behind frameless perspex, but that may change!

Scrumptious Strawberries

It has to be said that one of the best things about the warmer months of the year is the berries.  And a freshly picked strawberry has to be tops, doesn't it?!
Twelve months ago, the children and I headed to the Mornington Peninsula for a family visit.  While there we took the opportunity to go strawberry picking and it was just fantastic.

 Photograph courtesy Sunny Ridge Website

We visited the Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm located in Main Ridge, where you can pick your own strawberries and purchase them.  They also have an amazing array of related products like wine, jams, sauces, ice-cream, chocolate and pretty much anything resembling this delectable fruit.

Sunny Ridge also has the "Dessert Cafe" which serves up every strawberry dream you can conjure . . .

 

Photography courtesy Sunny Ridge Website

When we visited it was a perfect sunny day and we took to the fields where you can pick - well my children were in heaven!!! By the time we had filled our containers, Georgia and Aidan were completely covered in strawberries with tell-tale red juicy lips.  I honestly thought the girl serving us could have popped the kids on the scales and charged per pound!

If you have never been berry picking - treat yourself (perhaps not as much as my darlings).  It is a fantastic family day out, and a great way to keep fresh produce alive and kicking in Australia.  What a great way to teach children about the joys of growing and tasting beautiful food.

If you would like to know more about Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm, click here

Velvet Pears by Susan Southam

Ok, Book Review today . . .

If you have a love of gardens and need fresh ideas or are new to the hobby and would like some inspiration, this is the book for you!

Less like a "step by step" and more of one woman's account of making her dreams a reality, this book is a little like dipping into someone's personal thoughts, loves and ambitions.

I really fell in love with Velvet Pears; the story, the gorgeous photographs, and the idea that anyone can hold a dream in their mind of something special, and make it come to fruition with a lot of hard work and passion.

The book is set out in seasons, and the author describes her experiences gardening within each one.

Just look at these colours, as a crafter I can find a lot of inspiration for future quilts, as well as my future garden!

Maybe it is Susan Southam's love of full blown roses that attracted me to the book (they are my favourites!), or maybe it was the beautifully crafted book that was lovely to hold and to read.

Whatever the reason, "Velvet Pears" has motivated me to visit Susan's garden "Foxglove Spires" in Tilba Tilba one day.  It is top of my Destination List! If you would like to see more of her place go here

Violet Sky

Well I must be a sucker for sunsets.  Never thought I would be posting pics of them here, but looked out the window last night and saw this.  Had to take a photograph . . .

This is why we live in the country - the sky is just magnificent and when you think "now that's a beauty", along comes another night like this.  We had a very hot day, about 41C, and the cool change had just come through.

Ok, just one more, I promise

Mother Nature is surely an artist.

Recycling At Its Best!

Doing a bit of tinkering yesterday, inspired by a book I borrowed recently from the library.  Titled "D.I.Y. Design it yourself" and edited by Ellen Lupton, I chanced upon this page . . .

The section in this book was about altering your store bought clothes to get a "custom-cut t-shirt".

So I rummaged through my t-shirts and pulled out this used and abused blackie which I wore under clothes over Winter

Please forgive the slight skankiness - wishing I had Photoshop about now.  Anyways, got out the scissors and had a go.  I thought, something ventured, something gained.  And if it wasn't to work out, no big loss.  So the result:

I have a new-ish top!! I tried it on a few times through the process to see where adjustments needed to be made, and all in all, I am pretty happy!  Even if it is just a bang around the house kind of top, that suits me fine.  The money in my wallet can now go towards more coffee! Yum.

Gee it's hot!

Just looking at the temperature guide on Google and it says we are already at 28C. It feels a bit warmer than that I can tell you!  Looking through all the beautiful blogs on the other side of the world filled with snowy pictures makes me feel a bit envious, trying to imagine myself there . . .

Well my weekend was quiet; I somehow hurt my back (think my big boy Aidan may have something to do with it!), so could not do much.  I missed a movie night with my girlfriends which was a shame, but my husband Brett took the children to their Nanny and Granddad's for the weekend.  So while the cat and kittens are away, the mouse will sew!!

I sat in front of the sewing machine most of the weekend and worked on Georgia's letter cushions.  Here they are!! The buttons still have to be sewn on the backs which I will complete in the next couple of days, but I am happy with the result.  And most importantly their namesake is very very happy! :)

So I have something to keep me occupied over the next couple of days while it's burning hot weather outside.

I also have a job to do for a friend who asked me to hem some sheets, so this will keep me out of trouble!

Stay cool, or warm - wherever you may be.